What the hospital nail rules usually say
The CDC's hand-hygiene guideline for health care settings says health care personnel who care for high-risk patients, such as patients in intensive care or transplant units, should not wear artificial nails or extenders and should keep natural nail tips shorter than 1/4 inch. Many hospitals apply those rules to all patient-care staff, and some extend them to nail gels and gel polish. Your hospital's own policy is the rule that counts, so read it or ask your manager before choosing a service.
Within those rules, here is what we can do. A Classic Manicure ($25, listed at 30 minutes) shapes your natural nails short, cleans up the cuticles and finishes with regular polish or none at all. Regular polish lasts about 5 to 7 days. If your policy allows gel polish, a Classic gel manicure is $35 and stays chip-free for about 2 to 3 weeks.
Acrylic, Gel-X and builder gel are enhancements, and most patient-care policies treat them as artificial nails. If you are moving into a patient-care role and need a set taken off, safe removal starts at $15 and is listed at 20 to 30 minutes.
We are about 12 minutes by car from Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital (by Gatlin Blvd) and from HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital (by SE Port St. Lucie Blvd), based on OpenStreetMap routing in light traffic. We are open until 7:00 PM Tuesday to Saturday and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, and closed on Mondays.
Sources: CDC press release on the 2002 Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings.